Monday, March 25, 2024

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

In western music, we have twelve notes. If we play in a major or minor key, as most of our popular music is, that leaves us with seven. A key change may offer one or two more. Among those specifically defined patterns of vibrating air, most songs will favor four or five notes in various shapes and combinations, limiting the others to accented moments of dissonance. Those are the "blue" notes.
 
If so many songs are built from so few basic notes, haven't most, if not all of those patterns been used already? 
 
Probably. 
 
Playing at different rhythms and tempos helps mix it up a little. Even so, much like how different painters can create countless variations within the same rectangular dimensions and bound to the same basic colors of paint, I think that paradoxically, limitations can offer artists more creative freedom. 
 
It's not the notes, really; it's what you do with them that matters. 
 
Lots of songs use the same underlying chord structures. My aim when creating art of any kind is to offer a balance between the familiar and the unexpected. I also think that music, as with any other form of art, is part of a much larger conversation -- grounded by what came before it, but always changing in a perpetual act of synthesis. Art feeds upon itself to create something new. 

In my music, I play a lot of "cowboy chords," often with a capo. I have no shame in that. In fact, I tend to think that unless you're playing for a room full of trained musicians, it makes sense to keep it simple. Most people don't care how difficult something is to play if it doesn't sound good. Virtuosity does not necessarily amount to listenability.
 
My approach to songwriting is to always start with the music, usually with a riff or a chord progression that sounds cool to me, something that I land on in the midst of practicing. After some time on the daily rehearsal playlist rotation, it coalesces into something with a definite shape, at which point I begin to sing vowels over it with an ear for any words that may emerge from the melody. That's when I get out the paper and pencil and write down whatever phrases that come to mind as I play. Eventually, patterns in the words hint at the meaning and feeling of the song, which informs how I proceed with it.
 
It is a process that every once in a while delivers a product, but I have also put something of myself into it. It is inspired by the eclectic music I love, fashioned out of those same familiar notes, while hopefully contributing something new, both musically and lyrically. My intent is to write songs that are relatable but informed by my own unique perspective.
 
Balance is key.

Thank you for listening to my music and for supporting independent art.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Wishing Well

I will be playing some of my songs at The Well Hotel and Taproom in Trinidad, CO on Friday, March 1. If you're in the area or feel like taking a road trip, come check it out.

I'm excited to be a part of this lineup and look forward to visiting a part of Colorado that I have not yet seen. Thanks to everyone involved in putting this show together, as well as all who support live music.


Monday, January 1, 2024

Keep on Rockin' in the New Year

I just played a set at the Buzzard's Roost. If you were there, cool. Thank you. I hope you got something out of my music, even if it was just tapping your toes. I hope that you shared in the fun that I had. 

My setlist was something like this:

Still Life
Gravel Roads
Goodbye
Dandelion Wine (If Only...)
Signs
The Fool
Go It Alone
Antidote
Life Preserver
Fireflies
Haunted
Baby Blue
Something to Break
Life/Time
Begin
Screen Memories

This marks the one-year anniversary of the first time that I played live music (also at the Buzzard's Roost) in Lamar, Colorado, which was the first that I had performed for an audience of more than three people since early 2020. Thanks to Jay and Karen and the rest of the crew for hosting me and the other musicians who performed. Every town needs at least one venue for stuff like this. I am glad to have found this one.  

Happy new year.



Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Piano Songs

Here are a couple of songs that I recorded the other day in my living room.
 
The first one, Holiday, comes from my 2021 album Petrichor:

 
 
 

And the other is a new song called Time Machine, to be included on my forthcoming album, a work-in-progress:

Thanks for listening.


 


Thursday, September 21, 2023

Record Numbers

Looking at website stats again, I see that September 2023 has been my busiest month to date on both this blog and my Zach-of-All-Trades blog. That makes me smile. The former has received over 6500 hits so far, and the latter is at over 2700. While this may not seem like much to some, it totally amazes me, especially since I haven't been very good about adding any new content lately. In any case, thank you for reading my stuff and for checking out my music. You are, above all else, the reason that I do it... whoever you are.

Although I have chosen not to monetize these blogs in any way, knowing that there are people reading my work and listening to my music makes it all seem worthwhile. That said, if you would like to financially support my various creative endeavors, for now, the best way to do so would be to buy my songs wherever you listen. Whereas streaming pays a fraction of a cent per play, purchasing the songs or albums for download adds up a lot faster... and since I write, perform and produce it all myself, more of the proceeds go directly to me, which in turn allows me to keep doing what I'm doing. 

To that end, I'm currently trying to record another album, but it seems that my eleven-year-old laptop is not really up to the challenge anymore. It has gotten very slow. As such, I intend for any revenue generated through song and album sales to be put toward replacing it so that I can keep recording, producing album number seven and beyond. Every little bit helps. And if you can't afford to buy my songs, that's fine, too. I'm still happy that you're listening to and reading my work. I encourage you to share it and add my music to your playlists, too, as this helps it to find an audience.  

Thank you, dear listener and reader. Your support is greatly appreciated.